These terms of reference cover the formation, responsibilities, aims and operation of the Steering Group with respect to the revision and approval of ISEAL’s Credibility Principles in 2020.
This document contains a log of the feedback received on the first draft of the Credibility Principles (V1.1) during the consultation period from 14 May to 31 July 2020, as well as how the ISEAL secretariat responded.
This document contains a log of the feedback received on the second draft of the Credibility Principles (V1.2) during the consultation period from November to December 2020, as well as how the ISEAL secretariat responded.
This document provides a summary of the feedback received on V1.2 of the ISEAL Credibility Principles during the consultation from November to December 2020, and how it was addressed.
In September and October 2021, we co-hosted a webinar series with Evidensia to take a deep dive into how and why the new Credibility Principles are important.
ISEAL commissioned SCS to examine how 'declaration in excess' is understood and used by supply chain actors to comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Interviews with stakeholders in palm oil, coffee and rubber revealed varying levels of awareness, implementation strategies and potential hurdles. The report highlights different interpretations and implementations of declaration in excess, assessing both potential benefits and challenges from a regulatory and business perspective.
This Symposium aims to place producer perspectives at the centre of the conversation to identify practical solutions to these challenges. By grounding discussions in the realities of Ghana and West Africa, the symposium will create space for a global exchange on sustainability challenges and solutions that resonate far beyond the region.
ISEAL has developed a draft good practice framework to support sustainability systems to strengthen the effectiveness of improvement strategies.
The Impacts Code of Good Practice, for Assessing the Impacts of Social and Environmental Systems.
ISEAL submitted input into the
As part of its ongoing engagement with EU policymakers, ISEAL submitted targeted input to the European Parliament on the Omnibus Package, specifically addressing the proposed amendments to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).Our recommendations aim to support the directive’s simplification objective while ensuring that effectiveness, inclusiveness, and alignment with international standards are not compromised.
The ISEAL Insight sign-up form is the first step to accessing ISEAL's subscription service for professionals and organisations working in and with sustainability systems. Subscribers gain access to exclusive sustainability resources, technical guidance, expert analysis, events, peer learning opportunities and updates from ISEAL. Download and complete the form to sign up to ISEAL Insight.
This document describes how ISEAL will use, process and share information collected from members in the course validating that members meet the ISEAL Community Member Requirements, ISEAL Accreditation Member Requirements and ISEAL Code Compliant Requirements.
This policy is intended to support ISEAL and its governing bodies in applying a sufficient degree of due diligence when reviewing ISEAL Community Member applications, ensuring that organisations approved as ISEAL Community Members meet the eligibility criteria and are committed to improving their systems, building trust and demonstrating transparency.
On 17 November 2021, the European Commission published its Proposal for a Regulation on Deforestation-free Products
(hereafter “the Proposal”). This position paper outlines how ISEAL believes this draft legislation should be adjusted to have a deeper impact on preventing deforestation.
(hereafter “the Proposal”). This position paper outlines how ISEAL believes this draft legislation should be adjusted to have a deeper impact on preventing deforestation.
ISEAL welcomes the EU Commission's proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD) as a necessary and pivotal step towards mainstreaming sustainability in corporate practices and fostering corporate accountability. Within the proposal, certification and verification schemes, as well as industry and multi-stakeholder initiatives play a key role in organising compliance with the proposed CSDDD.
In 2021, ISEAL worked with seven different sustainability schemes to conduct ten field-based pilot audits in different country-sector combinations around the world. The objectives of these pilot audits were two-fold: to provide participating schemes the opportunity to test the use of the Salary Matrix and accompanying IDH Verification Guidelines with certified entities and to provide IDH learnings and recommendations for these pilots to improve these Roadmap’s tools.
On 22 July, the European Commission launched a
ISEAL welcomes the Commission's Proposal for a Directive as regards empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and better information. We share the objective that sustainability or green claims in the EU marketplace should be clear, relevant, and substantiated to enable consumers to make more informed and sustainable purchasing decisions.
In response to the EU proposal for a Green Claims Directive, this statement intends to go further in establishing robust credibility criteria, by promoting multistakeholder participation, and supporting clear pre-approval and verification processes for sustainability schemes.
ISEAL has contributed to the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group's (EFRAG) public consultation on the amended European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) exposure drafts.ISEAL welcomes EFRAG's efforts to simplify the ESRS and reduce datapoints while retaining the core objectives of the EU Green Deal. ISEAL notes how voluntary sustainability systems (VSS) strategically align with EFRAG's ESRS objectives.
On 6 May 2026, the EU Commission launched a one‑month “Have‑Your‑Say” public feedback on draft final versions of revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The revised standards aim to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining sustainability objectives. ISEAL submitted into the consultation.